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Our values

Our values and approaches are integral to who we are and how we work. They guide every aspect of the work we do, forming the basis of our strategy and creating an inspirational organisational philosophy through which we strive to achieve our vision.

Respect

Childreach Tanzania does not see children as the product of their suffering but as the sum of their potential and this is what we ask our supporters and donors to become involved in: investing in the solution, not feeling guilty about the problem. Illustrative of this is the fact that we only use positive images of children. People are not defined by their economic or social status. Every community has strengths and weaknesses. We do not believe that poverty is a characteristic. Ambition and potential lie within everyone, especially children, and as an organisation it is our privilege to play a role in helping children to unlock their capabilities.

At the heart of our organisational values lies the respect between our staff, affiliates, and most importantly between Childreach Tanzania and our community partners. Although as an organisation we often give the resources to facilitate the child focussed projects, this funder-community relationship is always one of equality between two parties committed to transforming the lives of children.

Our best measure of whether we are succeeding as an organisation is not how well people respond to our marketing or our message but how children, their communities and our local partners talk about us when asked if the relationship is genuine, equal and respectful.

Inclusivity

Childreach Tanzania staff and programmes are truly diverse and we do not discriminate on the basis of gender, disability, race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, caste or age. Whilst Childreach Tanzania is very careful not to align with any specific political groups, parties, organisations or philosophies in the areas we work in, we do engage very closely with the government to promote our work and lobby for the rights of children. Furthermore, all our efforts are aimed at complementing rather than opposing government efforts and priorities.

Although we recognise and acknowledge that different cultures have different attitudes (both in the workplace and society) towards different issues, we as an organisation ensure that all of our internal and external interactions actively promote inclusion, tolerance, respect and above all equality.

Moreover, despite working in many different communities, primacy is given to process not hierarchy. Our Project Management discipline sees people working collaboratively together based on expertise and involvement rather than any of the traditional hierarchical work practices.

Active Engagement

Wherever possible we seek to actively engage our donors and supporters to encourage them to gain a deeper understanding of our work and become involved as active stakeholders, rather than passive contributors. Besides creating an energetic and enthused supporter base, this also has the added advantage of turning Childreach Tanzania from just an NGO into an active movement. Most of our supporters are young people themselves and, as such, the future decision makers within their societies. By becoming advocates during such formative stage of their lives, our supporters develop a broader sense of development awareness and are imbued with the passion needed to successfully promote the interests and rights of children around the world.

Moreover, we encourage the active engagement of our beneficiaries, communities, project partners and staff. Child participation and community led development is integral to every aspect of our work, from the formation of projects to the assessment of our impact on the ground.

Honesty

In our role as the custodians of funds intended to benefit the lives of children around the world, it is especially important that we transparently communicate the nature of our projects and our financial operations to our donors, the communities in which we work, the organisations that we support and the wider public. Our reputation for sound financial management is of utmost importance.

Furthermore, we have a particular responsibility to be honest and open with the children who participate in our projects and the communities who invite us to work with them. In order to improve our work as an organisation and contribute positively to the work done by the community development sector, it is also especially important that we are honest about the challenges that we face and share the lessons we have learnt in order to enable others to improve their work. Central to this is the creation of an organisational culture within Childreach Tanzania which avoids blame and encourages a sense of shared responsibility for organisational development. Through acknowledging our weaknesses and failings we can respond constructively and work effectively to enhance our efforts.